1. Field of the Invention
A certain aspect of the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many multifunction copiers and Web sites have a function to provide services only to successfully authenticated users. Also, there are known technologies for skipping an authentication process for users who are logged in by retaining the authentication information (login information) of the users in a system.
For example, patent document 1 discloses a technology for determining whether a user is authenticated and dynamically changing the user interface for the user based on the determination result.
Meanwhile, in a complex system like a multifunction copier, function screens for executing applications such as copy and facsimile applications and setting screens such as a system setting screen and an initial setting screen may be created based on different software frameworks (e.g., programming languages). Those applications created based on different software frameworks are executed using different browsing programs corresponding to the software frameworks.
Assume that a user who has logged in from an application created based on a software framework switches to another application created based on a different software framework. Even in this case, it is preferable to be able to omit the authentication process for the user who is already logged in. For this purpose, it is necessary to enable the applications created based on different software frameworks to share the authentication information of the user.
[Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-345753
However, allowing all applications installed in a system such as a multifunction copier to share the authentication information of users may result in allowing even an unknown application to use the authentication information and therefore may cause a security problem.